Florida men claim NCAA Track and Field Championship

282 days ago

Florida Athletics

EUGENE, Ore. - Behind four individual national champions, Florida's men won their second consecutive NCAA Outdoor Championships team title Friday night (June 9) at Historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

This is the Gators' fourth outdoor national title in the last six seasons, as well as the program's seventh indoor or outdoor national title in school history. Florida has won all seven of its NCAA titles since 2010, leading all Division I programs by two titles during that span.

Florida also won the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2012, 2013, and 2016, in addition to its three straight victories at the NCAA Indoor Championships from 2010 through 2012.

Gators' NCAA Championships Team Notables

Florida's title also marks their 19th top-2 finish in 30 NCAA Championship meets under head coach Mike Holloway, who became the men's head coach in 2003

No other program has more than nine top-2 finishes in that time frame

Florida posted its ninth consecutive top-3 finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, tying Arkansas (1992-2000) for the third-longest streak in meet history

Only USC (1933-43, 1946-56) put together a longer streak

The Gators are the second Division I program since 2000 to win four outdoor national titles in a six-year span

Florida has finished in the top three at 17 of the last 18 NCAA Championship meets, and 21 of the 30 NCAA Championship meets with Holloway as head coach

Mike Holloway is the seventh head coach in Division I history to win seven men's NCAA Championships

Holloway is also one of four coaches to win at least seven since 1970

Fifth-year senior Eric Futch became the eighth man in Division I history to successfully defend his 400 hurdles title. The Darby, Pa. native crossed in 48.32 seconds, a half-second personal best that made him the No. 10-ranked 400 hurdler in collegiate history. Futch's second crown is the fifth in school history.

With his victory Friday, Grant Holloway became the first freshman in Division I history to win both the indoor 60-meter hurdles and outdoor 110-meter hurdles national titles. Holloway is also the third freshman to win the 110 hurdles title since 1976, the first year it ceased being the 120-yard hurdles. The Chesapeake, Va. native's title was the third in school history, with Josh Walker (2004-05) being the only other Gator to win the crown.

Junior KeAndre Bates, who won the long jump Wednesday (June 7), completed the 11th sweep of the horizontal jumps in Division I history. Bates was the seventh man to complete the sweep.

Senior Andres Arroyo scored four crucial points for the Gators in the 800 meters. The 2016 Olympics semifinalist was in contention for a podium finish until a fall on the turn of the final lap wreaked havoc on the race.

Fellow senior TJ Holmes, the 400 hurdles runner-up last year, took sixth to add three points for the Gators.

Junior Jhonny Victor stole 1.5 points in the high jump, clearing a personal best of 2.13 meters (6 feet, 11.75 inches). Victor's second-run clearance at that height earned him a tie for seventh on countbacks.

Gators' Individual Notables

Grant Holloway, who was second in the long jump Wednesday is the fifth man since 1976 (when the 110 hurdles ceased being the 120-yard hurdles) to score in both the long jump and 110 hurdles, and he's the only man to finish in the top 2 of both events

Holloway joined Oregon's Devon Allen (2014) and San Jose State's Dedy Cooper (1976) as the only other freshmen to win the 110 hurdles

KeAndre Bates and 2015 The Bowerman winner Marquis Dendy are the only Gators in history to sweep the horizontal jumps at NCAA Outdoors. Dendy accomplished the feat in both 2014 and 2015